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The Lazarus Experiment (TV story)
The Lazarus Experiment 'is the sixth episode of the third series of ''Doctor Who. It was written by Stephen Greenhorn, directed by Richard Clarke and featured David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones. Overview To be added Synopsis Finally bringing Martha home, the Doctor has his interests peaked in a public demonstration by Professor Richard Lazarus, who has created a genetic device which can reverse age and 'change what it means to be human'. Unconvinced, the Doctor and Martha go and witness the phenomenon firsthand, only to discover the results more perilous that anticipated. The process changes Lazarus into a giant, deformed monster that puts Martha's family and every other guest in danger. Meanwhile, Martha's mother, Francine, is approached by a mysterious guest, who has information about the Doctor for her to hear... Plot Piloting the TARDIS back through the time vortex, the Doctor, to Martha's disappointment and dismay, lands back in her flat in London in 2008, only 12 hours after he'd taken her away. Looking on the news, they see Martha's sister Tish standing alongside Professor Richard Lazarus making an address to the press, claiming that his experiment tonight will "change what it means to be human". Saying their goodbyes, the Doctor leaves in the TARDIS, only, to Martha's jubilation, to return not a second later, stick his head out the door and ask "I'm sorry, did he say he was gonna 'change what it means to be human'?". That evening, Lazarus stands overlooking the city from his office at Lazarus Laboratories with his assistant Lady Thaw, who is concerned about the lack of certainty with the experiment, but Lazarus decides to go through with it anyway. Downstairs, the Doctor and Martha, dressed up for the party, meet up with Martha's family in the lobby. In the center of the room is Lazarus' machine that the Doctor correctly deduces is a Hypersonic soundwave manipulator (only to be called a "science geek" by Tish). As Martha's mother, Francine arrives with her brother Leo, she introduces them to the Doctor just as Lazarus comes down to address the crowd. He proclaims that he will be performing a miracle, before stepping inside the capsule as the machine is activated. As the process proceeds, the machine starts overloading, threatening to explode; the Doctor jumps to the device's controls and manages to shut it off before it blows. Rushing to the capsule, the Doctor and Martha pull it as Lazarus walks out, at least 40 years younger in appearance, to the amazement of the crowds as he declares he's been reborn. The Doctor, however, is dumbstruck and horrified. As the press parade Lazarus, he starts behaving oddly, concerning Thaw, when the Doctor and Martha come over to question Lazarus about the project and Martha is stunned by Thaw's desire to commercialise the process before the pair of them withdraw to the office. The Doctor and Martha decide to run their own tests using the kiss Lazarus planted on Martha's hand as a DNA sample. Examining a model of his DNA, they find it gradually shifting and changing of it's own accord, a side effect of the process that trying to change Lazarus' fundamental genetic code. Upstairs, Lazarus' body continues mutating and transforming and, in a great amount of physical agony, becomes something large and monstrous that attacks Thaw. Down in the lobby, while Francine starts suspecting there is something wrong about the Doctor and Martha's relationship, Lazarus arrives and charms Tish into accompanying him to the roof. The Doctor and Martha go to Lazarus' office and find the husk of Lady Thaw, having had all the life energy drained from her. Knowing that Thaw won't be enough to satiate him, they go to look for him in the lobby. When they arrive, Leo tells them that Tish went with him to the roof; after they race off after him, Francine is approached by a mysterious man who tells her to be wary of the Doctor. Tracking him to the roof, the Doctor and Martha manage to get Tish away from him as he transforms again into a giant, amorphous scorpion-like monster and attacks them. They lock him out but the process of breaking through the door causes a security breach, locking the building down. The Doctor gives Martha and Tish the sonic to get everybody out of the building while he warns everybody; initially, he isn't believed until Lazarus himself appears and kills somebody, sending the rest of the people into a panic. The Doctor lures him away into the building while Martha gets everybody out and tends to an injury Leo took to the head defending Francine. In the labs, the Doctor causes an explosion that disorients Lazarus as Martha finds him to return the sonic. Lazarus survives and chases them back to the lobby where they hide in the machine. Lazarus, even unwilling to damage his masterpiece in his current state, activates the device with them still inside. Reversing the polarity, the Doctor bounces the energy input outside the capsule and knocking Lazarus out. As he's taken away, the Doctor and Martha return outside where Francine slaps the Doctor and orders he stay away from her daughter, considering what she'd heard about him. They hear a loud crash from the distance and the Doctor goes to investigate, followed by Martha. To Francine's further chagrin, Tish goes after them as well to look after Martha. They find the ambulance missing Lazarus and the paramedics dead; the Doctor tracks Lazarus to Southern Cathedral and they go and look for him. They find him circled in a towel in the center of the room, insisting everything he'd done that night was necessary and that it was only natural to avoid death at all costs. After the Doctor gives him an impassioned speech about the problems of living for as long as he has, Lazarus prepares to strike but Martha coaxes him into chasing her and Tish instead. As they lure him to the top of the belltower, the Doctor supersonics the organ beneath and increases the volume to unbearable levels. Lazarus attacks the girls at the top of the belltower, nearly dragging Martha down with him, but the Doctor's playing the organ disorientates him, reversing the genetic mutation and causes him to fall to his death, while Tish pulls Martha to safety. Down on the ground, the Doctor finds Lazarus restored to human form and his natural age. Later that evening, the Doctor offers Martha another trip in the TARDIS but she declines, in spite of enjoying her travels, on account of not wanting to feel like 'just a passenger'. Acknowledging this, the Doctor offers her to join him in the TARDIS again, this time as a proper traveller and she accepts this. As they step into the ship and disappear, Francine calls Martha on her answering machine and tells her to stay away from the Doctor, insisting that he's dangerous, warning her that the information comes from Harold Saxon himself, "she's not safe!" Cast * The Doctor - David Tennant * Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman * Tish Jones - Gugu Mbatha-Raw * Leo Jones - Reggie Yates * Francine Jones - Adjoa Andoh * Richard Lazarus - Mark Gatiss * Lady Thaw - Thelma Barlow * Olive Woman - Lucy O'Connell * Mysterious Man - Bertie Carvel Crew To be added References To be added Story Notes To be added Continuity To be added Home video and audio releases To be added External Links * Official ''The Lazarus Experiment'' page on '''Doctor Who Website